phù du

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 蜉蝣 (“mayfly”). Compare French éphémère (“ephemeral; mayfly”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [fu˨˩ zu˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [fʊw˦˩ jʊw˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [fʊw˨˩ jʊw˧˧]

Noun

(classifier con) phù du

1. a mayfly

   Synonym: thiêu thân

Adjective

phù du

1. (literary) ephemeral

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with phù dung (“cotton rosemallow”).